


Jearmin Week 2019

by MeltedDucc (meltedducc)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Compliant, Children, Day At The Beach, Fantasy, Jearmin Week, Kissing, M/M, Naked Cuddling, Post-Canon, Princes & Princesses, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-16 02:30:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20165761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meltedducc/pseuds/MeltedDucc
Summary: Basically just my contribution to Jearmin Week on Tumblr





	1. Days One and Two: Library/Forbidden Relationship

Jean quietly walked down the halls of headquarters. The majority of the Survey Corps was fast asleep or at the very least in their bedrooms. Of course, there were a few people who wandered in the night. Like Jean, himself- and Armin. The little bookworm often holed himself up in the small library, reading for hours on anything and everything, often until the sun came up.

Jean reached the library doors and gently pushed the door open. He glanced around, finding no one in the room, and made his way to one of the small tables towards the back where a certain blond was waiting.

Armin offered him a small smile as Jean joined him at the table. Armin flipped a page and blushed at the slight brush of their shoulders.

"What'cha reading?" Jean asked softly. Even though there was no one else in the library, he didn't want to risk waking someone up and finding them. Their relationship - though several months old - was still a secret to most. The only one who knew of them was Mikasa- who accidentally caught them in the middle of a late-night blowjob and probably wished for certain death- and she had promised to keep their secret. Fraternization was highly discouraged in all branches of the military, and though the Survey Corps was more lenient with most of their rules, Jean and Armin would rather not know the consequences of higher-ups finding out. And Eren would most certainly kill Jean if he knew.

"It's an old fairy tale my grandfather used to read to me. I found it in here a few days ago, and I'm finally getting around to reading it." Armin marked his place and closed the book, folding his hands and resting his head on them.

"It looks interesting." Jean looked over the cover. It didn't seem like something Armin would typically read- though he read most anything. The light pink cover and small characters reminded Jean of something a little girl would read. A little girl who played dress-up and brushed her dolls' hair while dreaming of having a tea party with the queen. It seemed like an odd thing a grandfather would read to his grandson, though the story may have been completely different from the cover.

"It is."

"You should read it to me sometime." 

Armin sighed and reached for Jean's hand. He flipped Jean's hand over- palm up- and placed his on top, focusing on the size difference.

"I wish I could read it to you. Somewhere besides here," Armin said, his voice heavy with sadness.

Jean closed his hand, interlocking their fingers. 

"Me too."

"Do you think we'll ever be able to be a normal couple?"

Jean smirked. "What's your definition of 'normal?'" 

"Like sleeping together, going on dates, just…  _ not having to hide _ ." 

"We'll get there one day."

" _ One day- _ "

"But for now-" Jean grasped Armin's chin with his unheld hand and turned his face towards him. He pressed his lips to Armin's chapped ones, the small hand gripping his tighter. "This will have to do."

They kissed again.


	2. Days Three and Four: Summer Nights/Roommates

Armin turned to his back, throwing the blanket off of him and huffing. Beads of sweat threatened to roll down his forehead, and his pajamas clung to his clammy skin. He groaned and flipped to his stomach, muffling his frustration into his pillow.

A low chuckle was heard from the bed beside him. He dared to look over and was met with his boyfriend's hazel eyes staring back at his blue ones.

"Is there a problem, sir?" Jean asked, grinning.

"It's fucking hot." Armin wiped his face on the warm pillowcase.

Jean sat up, the sheets gathering around his waist. "Armin, you're the only one I know who would wear long-sleeves pajamas in the middle of summer."

"At least I'm not ass-naked." Armin sent Jean a teasing look, most of his smile hidden by his face pressing into his pillow.

"You appreciate my ass," Jean shot back.

"Maybe." Armin rolled onto his back again, spreading his arms out. 

"Why don't you take your shirt off if you're so hot?"

"You're right."

"I'm always right," Jean said, as he lay back down, pulling the thin sheets up to his neck.

"Sure you are," Armin whispered. He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it to the end of his bed and resumed his position on his back. 

"Any better?" Jean asked after a few silent moments passed between them. 

"I think. My shirt was comfortable, though." Armin looked over to Jean's bed, then quickly turned his head away, biting his lip.

Jean caught this action and spoke up. "What is it?"

"It's nothing."

"Do you want to sleep with me?" 

"Can I?"

Jean raised his sheets, allowing the small teen to slip in beside him. He wrapped his arms around Armin's waist, and the blond gasped. 

"You didn't tell me you weren't wearing underwear." 

"Didn't you accuse me of being 'ass-naked?'" Jean raised an eyebrow.

"I still assumed you had  _ something  _ on," Armin mumbled. 

"I'm trying to prevent a heat-related death, babe," Jean said lightly, burrowing his face into the long mess of hair on his boyfriend's hair. He relished the feeling of the long strands, knowing that Armin was still going to get it cut soon, despite Jean's protests.

"That's reasonable." Armin pulled himself out of Jean's hold and reached under the sheet, tugging his pants off- the underwear going along with them. He tossed them onto his abandoned bed along with his pajama shirt. He turned to his side and wiggled back into Jean's arms.

"Alrighty then." Jean held his breath as he felt an innocent legs slip between his, forcing himself to ignore the knee that was dangerously close to his cock.

"Is this alright?" Armin asked sleepily.

"Yeah, it's fine." Jean stroked Armin's hair, knowing how safe it made them both feel, and wondered how they ended up here. It felt like it was only days ago that they were sneaking around late at night just to see each other, though he knew it had been a few weeks. 

After a sudden roommate change that occurred after Connie swore there were mice in his and Jean's room (Jean later found out it was Armin who was placing mice under the beds) Armin volunteered to switch with him- leaving Connie with Eren and Armin with Jean. Of course, Eren wasn't pleased about his best friend having to room with his 'enemy,' but Captain Levi got involved and his word was final, no matter what Eren said.

The new living situation gave the boys more alone time together, which was especially beneficial to Armin who started having nightmares after inheriting the Colossal Titan.

It was after one particularly bad nightmare that they discovered how much petting Armin's hair soothed them both. And they soon found every excuse to do it.

Jean was pulled from his thoughts when a leg was thrown over his, pulling him closer to the small warm body.

"Ar-"

"Goodnight," Armin slurred.

Jean smiled and kissed the top of his head. 

"Goodnight, Armin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everyone's contributions to jearmin week have been amazing tbh


	3. Days Five and Six: Historical/Fantasy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was so difficult to keep in the canonverse, but writing Armin as a prince was surprisingly easy. 10/10 would recommend <3

Armin looked through the box of old books he had found when cleaning out the basement of an old cottage Levi Squad had stayed in months prior. The entire house was scrubbed floor to ceiling, as per Levi's orders, and Armin had the misfortune of cleaning out the dusty basement. But despite the ridiculous amount of spider webs he had run into, he managed to find a box of old books that he was allowed to keep.

A lot of the books were fiction- telling tall tales of mythical creatures and legendary heroes- and some were non-fiction. Armin skimmed through some of the books, finally settling on one of each category and sliding the box back under his bed.

The books were surprisingly well preserved, leaving only a thin layer of dust that Armin brushed off the covers. He opened the first one and began reading.

* * *

Armin heard footsteps approaching from the stone hall floor that spread throughout the castle. There was a knock at his door, to which he lazily answered. The heavy wooden door creaked, and the footsteps grew closer, stopping beside Armin's place at the vanity. He looked up at the stranger- one of his new guards- with a bored expression. 

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Jean Kirschstein, Your Highness." The guard gave a short bow. "How may I be of assistance to you?"

Armin stared into those hazel eyes, possibly for too long, then looked out onto the balcony.

"Follow me." He stood up, with Jean in tow, and walked out onto the stoney and overgrown balcony. Vines with small flowers had climbed the wall, some wrapping themselves around the railing. There were two iron chairs and a stack of forbidden books in between them. 

Armin sat down and prompted Jean to do the same. He picked up a book and idly flipped through it. 

"Have you ever heard of Atlantis, Jean Kirschstein?" 

"Yes, Your Hi-"

"Would you take me there?" 

Jean stared at Armin as if he had grown two heads. He had heard of the prince's strange ramblings and odd requests- some of which had led to the resignation of certain palace workers- but Jean didn't imagine it would be like this. 

"But… Atlantis doesn't exist."

"Says who?" Armin looked at everything but Jean- at his books, the vines adorning the balcony, over the railing at some guards slacking off. He was sincerely hoping that Jean wasn't going to end up like some of his past guards who had left the palace using weak excuses instead of saying,  _ "I can't work under a delusional prince who lives in dreamland."  _ (A few guards had been brave enough to say it). 

"There's no way people could survive under the water like that!" 

There was a brief pause- long enough for Jean to think he would be fired, though- then: "If they could, would you take me there?" Armin was still looking at nothing.

"I suppose so. It is my job to protect you, after all." 

Armin finally looked to his guard and into his eyes once again. A faint blush was growing on Jean's face, and soon Armin's face matched the shade of red. He quickly averted his gaze when he realized how hot his cheeks were and smiled at the ground. 

"I like you, Jean Kirschstein."

* * *

Armin didn't know when he had fallen asleep, or how long he had been asleep, but he  _ did _ know that he was gently being moved closer to the edge of the bed. He rolled over and saw Jean, who was in a sleepy daze, moving both of his arms to be around Armin's body. His long hair- that almost reached his shoulders at this point- was messy and spread across his pillow. His chin bore itchy stubble that he would complain about having to shave in the morning, and his brow furrowed as he attempted to get comfortable in the new position.

Armin relaxed into the strong arms that surrounded him and rested a hand over Jean's weakly clenched fist. He knew the taller man would fuss over him in the morning. He would worry, telling Armin that he fell asleep in the middle of the day because he was not getting enough sleep at night, then he would drop the subject and make breakfast for them both (and anyone else who happened to wander into the kitchen early).

  
_ A guardian indeed...  _ Armin happily returned to his dream.


	4. Day Seven: Time Skip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is how I hope some of the characters spent their time during the skip, honestly.

Armin followed a scurrying crab down the shoreline. Autumn had thoroughly set in and the water was too cold to swim in, so he opted for exploring the land instead. He wore a pastel pink button-up with blue and white sharks, green shorts covered in tiny palm trees, mismatched socks with sandals, and his boyfriend's fedora that he bad borrowed (stolen).

He was a fashion disaster.

But Jean drew him nonetheless. His sketchbook was almost complete with almost every page featuring a drawing of his tiny partner. 

Today, he decided to sit on the sidelines and let Armin run off by himself. It was better than trying to keep up with a knee that he injured during maneuver gear practice. 

He flipped to a new page, starting another drawing of Armin in his atrocious attire. The patterns on his shirt and shorts clashed, and Jean wondered how Armin managed to mess up this badly. He supposed the surprise beach trip threw him off… or he just picked whatever clothes he could find.

Three more drawings and some runaway crabs later, the pair decided to call it a day. Jean packed up the few things they had brought, while Armin decided to scan the beach one last time for seashells.

Armin finished and made his way to Jean. The closer the blond got to him, the more details Jean noticed about his clothes. The sharks on his shirt had sunglasses and one of his socks looked too big to even be his. And yet, the man was as happy as he could be. He wore a big smile, his face was flushed, and little grains of sand were stuck to his cheeks. 

Once he was in arms reach, Jean pulled him by the wrists- his hands were full of seashells- and wrapped his arms around him in a tight embrace. 

"O-Oh!" Armin was caught off guard. "What's this about?"

"I just wanted to say I love you." Jean picked up the fedora and kissed the golden crown.

"I love you too."

"And your outfit is awful." Jean plopped the hat back on his head, and it fell forward, blocking Armin's vision.

"I was in a hurry," Armin pouted.

"Well, you should be in a hurry to get on the horse. I heard Niccolo is cooking tonight."

Armin pushed his hat back and gently placed the seashells into one of their bags, then mounted the horse. He took the reins and let Jean ride behind him this time.

"If we don't get there soon, Sash will eat all the food," Jean teased.

Armin kissed his sharp jaw and encouraged the horse.

"Not if we get there first!"


	5. Day Eight: Free Works

Small, soft hands rubbed at tired eyes. Tiny feet hit the floor and padded down the small set of stairs. Jean turned at the sound of the intruder in his kitchen. He smiled at his daughter's messy, pale blonde locks then returned to his breakfast making.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked.

The little girl dramatically yawned and stretched her arms. "Good, Daddy!" She looked around the open living room behind her, twisting around on her stool.

"Where's Papa?" she asked, eyes wide.

"He's helping Hanji with something, so it's just us today." Jean finished his cooking and prepared two plates for him and his daughter. He placed her plate in front of her and sat on the bar, his own plate in his lap. Her blue-grey eyes lit up at the sight of food, and Jean was vaguely reminded of his fallen comrade, Sasha. 

"What are we doing today?" she asked, mouth full.

"We need to go to the market, and I was thinking we could go to that dress store you like so much." Jean looked out of the corner of his eye to see the little girl's smile grow. "What do you think, Phoebe?"

"I like that plan!" 

The pair quickly finished their meal, sharing light conversation. Jean placed their dishes in the sink to wash later and went upstairs to get ready. He joined Phoebe in her room and sat in one of the fluffy chairs Levi had gifted her for her sixth birthday. The small girl shuffled through her closet, pulling out a white and pink shirt and a pink skirt for Jean to approve. Ever since she started picking her own outfits, Jean made sure to check what she picked since it seemed she had the same problem of mismatching outfits as Armin did.

Jean helped Phoebe with her hair then left her to finish getting ready by herself. They met at the front door, grabbed their coats, and headed towards the market. They were fortunate enough that their home was a short walk from town. 

The closer they got to town, the more Jean was reminded of his childhood. He, too, used to take walks with his parents to the market. There were fewer horses compared to his childhood, though- a majority of transportation had switched to automobiles, an invention from Marley, and Phoebe pointed out every one. 

They arrived in town and decided to go to the dress store first. As soon as the doors opened, Jean was overwhelmed by the brightly colored clothes. Phoebe's hand left Jean's, and she ran off into a hoard of dresses.

The man sat down on one of the well-cushion couches and waited for the girl to come back and empty his wallet.

She returned with two dresses, but Jean made her pick one with the promise of letting her get something from the market. She hurried up to the counter and paid for her dress with money Jean had handed her. 

They then went to the bookstore just across the street and roamed the aisles in hopes of finding something Armin hadn't read yet.

Jean stumbled across a book of mythology and smiled. He rushed to find Phoebe to show her the book.

"What's that?" she asked when he approached her.

"It's mythology."

"Okay?" 

"Look at this page." Jean opened the book and showed her the picture of a woman holding a baby, surrounded by a few other people. "This is Phoebe."

"Like me?" the little girl was surprised.

"Papa read this book before you were born. And when we got you, he wanted to name you after her. She's a titan, but not a scary one. And she's associated with the moon," he explained.

"So cool!" She made grabby-hands at the book, and he handed it to her. She looked at some of the pages and decided that she wanted to buy it. 

They left the store with two books then rushed to the market. Jean hadn't realized how late it had gotten and he needed to get some food- specifically meat- before the market closed. 

They managed to start their way home by sunset. As soon as they opened the door to the small, blue house, the smell of something baking hit their noses.

"Papa?" Phoebe rounded the corner into the kitchen. And there he was, Armin Arlert, _Kirschstein _now, taking a cake out of the oven. 

Once he placed it down to cool, the little girl jumped into his arms. He picked her up and placed her on the counter, letting her excitedly tell him about her day. 

"-And I found the titan book!"

"The titan book?" he moved to the opposite side of the kitchen to see how the cake was cooling.

"The one with Phoebe in it. Daddy told me about it." 

Armin peeked around his daughter to make eye-contact with his husband, who was unpacking the groceries, and smiled. 

"Did he now?" Armin asked, his eyes not leaving Jean's. 

"Yes. Can we read the book together, Papa?" Phoebe fiddled with the hem of her skirt distractedly.

"Sure. Maybe after some cake?"

"What about dinner?" Jean asked, finally joining them in the kitchen.

"I figured we could have cake for dinner tonight." 

"Can we, Daddy?" Phoebe hopped off the counter and looked up at Jean with her innocent eyes, making them look as sad as possible- a trick she had learned from Armin, no doubt.

"Fine." Jean leaned against the counter, while Armin helped Phoebe get herself a slice of cake. She ran off to the living room to wait for them to join her. 

"Y'know-" Jean started, causing Armin to raise his eyes from the cake he was cutting. "I was thinking we could go see Mikasa tomorrow."

"Mhm?" 

"Maybe Phoebe could spend the night." 

Armin smirked at what his husband was insinuating and simply placed his knife down. He stood in front of Jean, and held his hands, raising up on his feet to kiss the taller man's cheek.

_ "I'd like that a lot." _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jearmin Week has been really fun and I would recommend checking out the contributions on Tumbr. There's so many great entries this year!


End file.
